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The Marketing Academy’s Sherilyn Shackell on expansion, leadership and purpose

Published: 29 September 2016
By Marketing Week

Ahead of the relaunch of its Scholarship programme, Marketing Week caught up with The Marketing Academy’s founder and CEO Sherilyn Shackell who has redefined the 4Ps of marketing to match today’s agenda.

The Marketing Academy has redefined the 4Ps of marketing for the UK relaunch of its Scholarship programme. The move is designed to reflect a purpose-driven agenda and align globally with schemes running in Australia and New York, the latter of which sees its first intake in 2017.

Price, product, promotion and place will become personal, professional, people and purpose as founder and CEO of The Marketing Academy, Sherilyn Shackell, sees an opportunity to finesse the UK programme that has “rarely changed” since its inception in 2010.

The free-of-charge scheme offers 30 places to emerging leaders in marketing, advertising, media and communications who work through a programme of mentoring, lectures, personal coaching and leadership development.

But the programme is changing in line with the world’s wider issues and will put “purpose at the heart of everything” so marketers understand their “own purpose, their organisation’s and the part that the industry can play in the world”.

Professional skills, personal development and leadership will be “wrapped” around that purpose, says Shackell.

Global expansion

The development of the academy will see a shift towards becoming a global platform, not only attracting new scholars but mentors too. The first US programme will begin in the first quarter of 2017, and the organisation is also eyeing the opportunities in the Middle East. She says: “What that does is enable a much broader platform through which to identify fantastic mentors and speakers that want to be a part of what we are doing in the world.”

The programme will also align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the ‘purpose’ module. It means that each of the academy’s scholars will now act as an ambassador and advocate for each global goal.

They will also work with the UN Foundation to identify charity partners for the academy and scholars. They will then be invited to “pay forward” their learning into those charities.

Shackell says: “Every year, in what will be three countries to start with, we will have 30 of the best emerging leaders in the industry fully up to speed with why the world needs a plan to make change happen over the next decade.”

Emerging leaders need access to the C-suite

The Scholarship has leadership embedded into the programme, teaching inductees leadership from a personal perspective to enable them to choose what kind of leader they want to be, but Shackell believes face-to-face interactions with today’s C-suite are crucial.

The world of technology, remote working and the way office environments have changed over the past decade means the industry has “moved C-Suite leaders further away from the emerging talent”. Shackell says “it’s difficult to get access, time and even be in a physical work space with them”, which has resulted in “a slight disconnect”.

There are not many programmes that aren’t delivered in “a non-online way”, according to Shackell, who says “we are intent on ensuring that all of our learning platforms are face-to-face, experienced and human-based”.

That’s not to say The Marketing Academy doesn’t believe technology is an enabler but “to be the best you can be is not about a course written in books or sitting in a room doing it online”, she says, adding “the human connection is vital for everybody”.

Future leaders need to show vulnerability, they need to be open and transparent and be purposeful in their value set. “Less of a push and tell style leadership skills set and far more collaborative, inclusive, nurturing and empowering type,” adds Shackell.

Registrations for the 2017 Scholarship programme are now open. Click here for more information and to nominate a marketer.